


golden lightning

by yourloveisameme



Series: hoggy warty hogwarts [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Character Development, Good Slytherins, Happy 1/9 !!!, Heavy-handed King Metaphor, I cant believe those are all tags, Multi, Quidditch, Rivals to Friends to ???, Slow Build, Slytherin, Slytherins Being Slytherins, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, yet another self indulgent Hogwarts AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-02-26 02:44:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13226496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourloveisameme/pseuds/yourloveisameme
Summary: "Okay, listen up, everyone" Oikawa said, putting his hands on his hips and facing the Slytherin team. "This year, now that I'm captain, we're definitely going to win the Cup."a.k.a., the Quidditch AU no one asked for, ft. Slytherin boys





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo I got Quidditch thru the ages and I couldn't stop thinking about Seeker's and shit and now I'm in too deep to back out
> 
> Happy 1/9 !! ^.^

"Okay, listen up, everyone" Oikawa said, putting his hands on his hips and facing the Slytherin team. "This year, now that I'm captain, we're definitely going to win the Cup."

All eyes in the locker room were on him. "But," he continued. "There's going to be some changes around here."

Oikawa stepped in front of Kageyama, grabbing his expensive gloves--Seeker's gloves, which left the fingers exposed--out of his grasp. "You won't be needing these anymore." He cackled.

Kageyama frowned at the sixth-year, confused.

"I'm taking your position!" Oikawa announced, gleefully pulling on the confiscated gloves, relishing the feel of the soft handcrafted leather.

"You, Seeker?" Yahaba raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, me," Oikawa said.

"...why?"

"I'm the best flier on this team, that's why."

He looked around at his teammates. None of them contradicted him, though Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

"Then what will I be?" Kageyama asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Keeper?" Oikawa said carelessly, as if he hadn't spent half the summer deciding how to maximize Kageyama's talent without placing him in the role that got the most attention from reporters and fangirls, the one that sat in the middle of the front row during team portraits. The player whose task almost always decided the game, because whoever caught the Snitch ended the game and earned their team 150 points.

Kageyama stared at him. He'd never considered that anyone else would want his position--especially Oikawa, who was already excellent as a Chaser. "But--"

"Now for the rest of the lineup, I haven't quite decided, so you all better show me what you've got. You too, Tobio-chan." Oikawa ushered his teammates towards the door.

As they walked, Iwaizumi lingered behind and stood next to him, giving Oikawa a look. "You're really going to switch him out so you can feed your own ego?"

"No, I actually am a better flier than him. And well," Oikawa said, his voice tightening, "Tobio deserves to know how it feels to have everything taken away from him."

+

  
_“Him? But he’s just a first-year!” Oikawa exclaimed in disbelief. He glared at the eleven-year-old old boy currenly pulling on his new uniform. “I thought first-years weren’t allowed to play Quidditch.”_

_“In this case, we can make an exception,” Professor Irihata, Head of Slytherin House said, patting Kageyama on the back. “He’s the fastest first-year I've ever seen."_

_“The rest of us had to wait a year before we could even try out!" Oikawa clenched his fists in frustration._

_Kageyama didn’t understand why the older boy was giving him a death stare or what the big deal was about flying fast. Anyone could fly at a high speed if they tried hard enough, right?_

_“It would be wise to use him as your Seeker,” said Irihata to the captain._

_"Yes, that’s an excellent idea...”_

_“Seeker? He belongs on the bench!” Oikawa said, but neither Irihata nor the team captain was listening. Oikawa worked hard to get this spot, he'd spent years preparing to be the best flier he could be and earn the coveted Seeker role. But this kid was getting in without even going through a tryout process._ _He’d never seen such favoritism in his life. It must, Oikawa decided, be because Kageyama Tobio was the son of high-ranking purebloods, the heir to a gigantic fortune. Yes, that was it. After all, how good could this skinny, blank-faced little kid really be?_

_“Let’s see it, then,” Oikawa said icily._

_“Hm?”_

_“Let’s see you fly,” Oikawa handed Kageyama his own broom--hopefully using an unfamiliar one would throw him off somewhat. Oikawa crossed his arms over his chest, watching in disgust as the boy took off._

_Irihata wasn't exaggerating. The kid really was good. He flew like he belonged in the air, zooming so fast that he was nothing but a blur. And when he was about to crash into a tree, he swerved right and smoothly avoided a collision before making a sharp turn and coming back towards the ground._

_"He'll be an excellent Seeker," said the team captain, grinning up at the sky._

_"Best we've had in years," agreed the vice-captain._

_When Kageyama returned to the ground, the only person not beaming at him was Oikawa who turned away, a sour expression on his face._

+  
  
Kageyama kept his eyes on his teammates, waiting for one of them to attempt to hit the ball through. Matsukawa passed it to Hanamaki, who smacked it towards the goal. Kageyama threw himself in front of the hoop, the Quaffle hit his chest with a wham! He stumbled backwards, the breath literally knocked out of him.

"Agh, sorry!"

"Are you okay?"

Kageyama nodded, appeasing his teammates' worries.

"Nice save, Kageyama!" yelled Hanamaki, and Kageyama flushed with pride.  
Oikawa hovered on his broom, marvelling at how far Kageyama had come in the past few weeks. It must have been overwhelming for him, having to keep constant watch on his teammates when he was used to focusing on a tiny distant object. Not to mention deflecting the Quaffle with his body. But with his broom finesse, he quickly adjust and learn how to fly in and out of three hoops and quickly swoop in to save the ball. He was improving, evolving, faster than anyone else would. Of course, that's why Oikawa chose him.

+

_The Quaffle was headed towards Oikawa, just out of reach._

_He grinned. Time to show off his new move._

_In one quick motion he reached out and, holding on to his broom horizontally with one foot and one hand, he hung off the broom with his limbs splayed, resembling a starfish for a second. He reached out and grabbed the Quaffle, pulling himself onto the broom again before smacking it over to the other Chaser._

_The crowd audibly gasped._

_"Whoa!” said the announcer. "Oikawa Tooru pulls off a perfect starfish pass, you don’t see many of those around here! And he’s only fourteen years old!"_

_Oikawa smirked, basking in the attention of hundreds of astonished eyes. He might not be a genius but he was a damn good flier. Oikawa felt Kageyama’s eyes on him, shrewd and piercing. He hoped the kid was burning with envy inside._

_Fifteen minutes later, Kageyama spotted the Snitch. He rushed towards the flash of gold, pinpointing exactly where it was and how far he had to fly to make contact with it._

_Taking a deep breath, Kageyama clutched onto the broom with one arm and one foot, dropped his body, and caught the snitch in his hand. A perfect imitation of Oikawa’s move, except even cooler because it was combined with catching the Snitch._

_Oikawa's jaw dropped. The crowd lost its mind, cheering and roaring, even the other team's audience was impressed by Kageyama's awesome performance._

_"AND SLYTHERIN WINS KAGEYAMA TOBIO CATCHES THE SNITCH WITH A STARFISH GRAB AND HOLY SHIT--I mean excuse the language but WOW, have you ever seen anything like it? And only twelve years old..."_

_No, Oikawa never had seen anything like it. He scowled. Unbelievable. Oikawa was sure that before today Kageyama had never practiced the obscure move. But in three seconds of observing Oikawa, he’d absorbed the technique. He could spontaneously perform a move that some grown adults took ages to perfect. The boy was nothing short of a genius, standing there with his tiny smug smile, holding up the Snitch for all to see._

_Oikawa was trembling when he got off the broom, anger churning in his stomach. They’d won, but he didn't feel like celebrating. All Oikawa wanted to do was strangle Kageyama Tobio._

 +

 

 

The autumn weather got progressively colder and rainier. But practice continued. They simply donned extra layers under their practice uniforms and made sure to wear their protective goggles to protect their faces from the hail. And practice went on. Everyone was divided into two groups to play their mini-game, one team trying to get the Quaffle into the others' hoops while the Beaters kept the Bludgers at bay. Everyone except Kageyama. (and Kyoutani, but he didn't even count in the first place.)

Kageyama skipping wasn't unusual.

Technically they didn't need Kageyama. In fact, it was even more convenient when he was gone because then there was an even number of players, they could split evenly and play 5-on-5. They didn't need a Seeker during practice either, so Oikawa could fill any role he wanted. In the past Kageyama could not show up and nobody would say a thing. Kageyama didn't need to practice as much as everyone else. That's what Seekers were, they were good fliers, not good team players.

Kageyama didn't have that excuse anymore.

Oikawa gritted his teeth. He knew Kageyama was a genius and all, but that didn't excuse him. Past captains may have let it slip, but not Oikawa.

The first thing he did when he got inside was march down the hallway straight to Kageyama‘s dorm, dripping on the carpet in his rain-soaked school robes. "What the hell?"

Kageyama just blinked up at him.

"You skipped practice."

"...it's raining," he said.

"It's raining? That's your excuse?"

"It's not necessary to go out right now."

"Who do you think you are, skipping practice when we have a game _against Gryffindor_ coming up?" Oikawa curled his hands into fists. "Some people are always on the bench, but you don't see Watari, Yahaba, Shido or Yuda missing practice whenever they feel like it!"

"I trained last night."

"So? You think you're going to get better at defending a goal by practicing on your own? Unless you've figured out how to throw a Quaffle at yourself? Which I doubt, considering how stupid you are."

Kageyama squirmed. He'd noticed it himself--practicing goal-keeping in particular was impossible on one's own. You couldn't defend the hoop at the same time as trying to get the ball through it. Usually, Kageyama spent his solo practice sessions practicing flying, and dodging and diving. But actual defending? He could only practice that during group practice.

Iwaizumi came up behind him. "What Oikawa is trying to say," he said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "Is that you're an important member of our team and you don't need to do everything alone."

"Right." Oikawa said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself though a current of anger still flowed through him. "So next time, I'm not letting you get away without coming to practice. Got it?"

Kageyama nodded, his eyes gleaming. "I'll be there."

If there was one good thing about Kageyama Tobio, it was that he kept his promises. Every formal practice after that day, Kageyama was the first to show up and the last to leave the pitch. He came fully dressed, he didn't dawdle, he always had his broom out and was ready to go. While the others were changing, he was already on warm-ups. And then he'd get into formation with the rest of his teammates. Other than Kindaichi and Kunimi, the other teammates had never really talked to him. Kageyama had always been, up until now, a kind of observer of the game. Before now, he'd never known what it was like to be guarding the goal, to be actively stopping the other team from scoring.

The Keeper might be a unique position, but it was anything but solitary. Kageyama had to keep constant watch on the others' movements, tracing both the "other" team's movements as well as his own team's, guessing where the Chasers would aim and figuring out how to stop it. In the past, his goal as Seeker in paying attention to the others was to dodge them, to make sure he still accomplshed his own goal of finding the Snitch amidst the chaos. But here it was different. Here Kageyama was _in_ the chaos and he, together with his teammates, would have to work through it.

Kageyama still practiced individually, though. There were no off days, not if he wanted his skills to stay sharp.

On weekend mornings, he spent time flying, just flying circles around the castle while everyone else was sleeping in. He got a few weird looks from people who lived in the upper towers--Gryffindor and Ravenclaw--but mostly he was left in peace.

Now and then, he'd head over to the pitch so he could fly around the hoops.

One day, he got there and noticed someone else was there before him.

Kageyama hung back, watching Oikawa making laps on his broom, and he was hit by a massive wave of deja vu. Being here. Watching Oikawa. He'd been doing this for years. 

+

_When Kageyama started school, there was an amazing person on Kageyama’s Quidditch team. Kageyama‘s eyes were drawn to him all the time, in the cafeteria, in the common room, wherever. He’d been flying since he was a toddler, of course, but he’d never been able to see other fliers of this caliber._

_He learned a lot from watching him during practice--how to keep his eyes on the Bludgers while simultaneously flying aroud, how to make sharp dives and then brake before hitting anything._ _Once in a while, he’d approach Oikawa to ask him if he would practice with him and every time the answer was no. And he was undeterred by constant rejection, coming back time after time._

_To say he got on Oikawa’s nerves was an understatement. This creepy kid had somehow figured out the times Oikawa liked to practice alone, and he'd show up to watch. Oikawa ignored his existence._

_He would encounter Kageyama again at the randomest times. He’d just be standing there, carrying his broom around everywhere like a weirdo with a one-track mind._

_“Teach me how to score goals,” he said, in the middle of breakfast, his broom placed on the table, getting in everyone's way. Kageyama hadn’t yet realized that people gave him dirty looks. Kageyama asked him when he was eating, and when he was trying to have conversations, and when he was brushing his teeth._

_One day Kageyama came up to him as he stepped out of the shower, standing there fully dressed while all normal people were in their pajamas._

_Oikawa spun around and glared at Kageyama. "For the last time, no, Tobio, I will not teach you how to score goals," he spat. "And anyway what do you want to know how to shoot through the hoops for? That’s not even your job.”_

_“But...I want to know everything.”_

_“Ha, too bad," Oikawa said, sneering. "I hope you never touch a Quaffle in your life. As far as I’m concerned you don’t even deserve to be on this team, you're just a pathetic little freak."_

_Kageyama shrunk back and Oikawa hurriedly stomped away, angrily patting his wet hair with a towel._

_The next day, Kageyama didn't show up to stalk him while he was practicing._

_Oikawa couldn't stop glancing at the empty seats, expecting there to be a wide-eyed round-faced kid gazing at him, but there was no one._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up......first game of the year!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/10 whats this? me, updating twice in a row? yes

"I can't wait to see that Ushiwaka's face when we beat Gryffindor," Oikawa said over breakfast, stuffing himself with eggs.

 

He looked around the Slytherin table and recieved a few weak nods and "Umm"s. Not one person was fooled by Oikawa's bravado and his false smile, but what could he do? He was the captain, and 'Hey guys we're about to go up against the reigning champions, the one team in this school we've never beaten during my school career also my weird ex is on it' wasn't the most encouraging of statements.

"Let's crush them..." Hanamaki joined in halfheartedly.

"Yeah..." Iwaizumi said, poking at his potatoes.

"Go serpents?" added Kindaichi.

They all fell silent, staring at their food in silence. Oikawa tried to change the subject. "I always thought the mascot should be like a squid, you know, like the one under the lake?"

"For the millionth time, there is no squid under the lake."

"Yes there is, you can see it from the window in the common room."

"I've seen it."

"Me, too."

"Tobio can talk to it."

"Tobio can what now?"

The group launched into a discussion about the existence of the giant squid, and if it has intelligence, and what exactly is the point of Kageyama signing to it if the squid can't sign back? The atmosphere at the table is lighter now but none of them can quite squash the nervousness in their stomachs.

+ 

No. Nononono.

Kageyama stared at the Snitch in his hand, still flapping it's tiny wings. He didn't mean to catch it. His body reacted on its own when he saw it hovering above the third hoop.

"And Kageyama's got the snitch! But wait--he's the Keeper..."

Kageyama was aware of his teammates freezing in midair, turning to look at him with disbelief written accross their faces.

"...which means he's committed a Snitchnip..."

Kageyama‘s fingers clenched around the tiny ball. Numbly, he began descending to the ground.

"...and Slytherin must forfeit the match! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

His teammates were shouting things about how they're not going to forfeit and there has to be another way, but Kageyama handed the Snitch over to the referee. He had read the rulebooks enough times to know there was no getting around this.

It was over.

And it was his fault.

+

Nobody said a word to Kageyama as they trudged inside. He peeled off his clothes, and showered as quickly as possible.

"Well," Matsukawa said, "...at least we didn't have to sweat too hard."

"And there's more games," Oikawa reminded everyone. "We can still win the Cup if we rack up enough points." The teammates nodded, exchanging lukewarm smiles, trying to stay positive.  Kageyama didn't look at anyone, didn't talk to anyone.

When they got to the common room, they found that the rest of the House had already set up their consolation meal with loads of candies, cookies, brownies and warm butterbeer which may or may not have been spiked. The team's eyes lit up upon seeing the gorgeous array of junk food, and for a moment they almost forgot about their loss as they dug in.

Kageyama took one bar of chocolate and stomped off to the dorms, scowling so hard that a few first-years scrambled to get out of his path.

His teammates looked at each other. "Er," said Watari. "Should somebody talk to him?"

"Nah, he just wants to be left alone," Kunimi said.

"Still..."

"Yeah, someone should say something to him," Iwaizumi gave Oikawa a look, and suddenly the entire team was staring at him. Oikawa gulped down a bite of his cupcake. "What, me? Why do I have to do it?"

"It would have the most impact coming from you."

Oikawa sighed. He couldn't disagree with that. "Ugh, fine." He got to his feet.

Oikawa barged into the fourth-years' room. Kageyama didn't look up when he came in, just continued sitting there with his arms around his knees. Oikawa cleared his throat. "Er..."

"Just say it."

"Say what?"

"I don't know, what were you going to say?"

"What do you think I was going to say?"

"Something about how that was the stupidest thing you've ever seen?"

"I wasn't going to say that." Oikawa said, coming over to sit on the bed, facing away from Kageyama. "I mean, it's not the ideal way to end a match but we weren’t going to win anyway."

"We could have." Kageyama‘s eyes flashed. "If I had been Seeker."

"Excuse me?"

"If I had been Seeker, it wouldn't have been a foul."

"And if you had been Seeker, you wouldn't have been in the goal area!"

Kageyama shrugged.

Oikawa huffed, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes when Kageyama spoke again.

"Are you going to bench me?"

Oikawa glanced up in surprise. "Bench you?" Oikawa looked at Kageyama fiddling with his sleeve, eyes darting from side to side. He was genuinely worried. Oikawa's fingers clenched around the bedpost. "You think I'm going to axe you over _one mistake_?"

"But I--"

"But what? ' _But I'm Kageyama Tobio, I don't make mistakes'_? Is that what you were going to say? And a snitchnip isn't even a proper mistake! It shows you have good reflexes," Oikawa said. 

Kageyama was quiet, miserably staring at his half-eaten chocolate bar. Oikawa guessed that for someone not used to messing up during games, this _was_ kind of a big deal. Kageyama had never so much as made a foul in an official game before. But to be honest, the Seeker role didn't involve much opportunity to make a mistake--just stay in the air and catch the damn ball when you see it. 

"Get over yourself. You're not the first person in the world to do this. Actually..." Oikawa reached across the bed and made Kageyama hand over his chocolate. "...I made a snitchnip once, too."

Kageyama‘s eyes widened. Oikawa, making a foul so simple and basic? "When?"

"It was right after you came. Don't you remember?"

Kageyama shook his head.

"Ugh, I can't believe you're making me admit this," said Oikawa. "I was just there and I saw the Snitch, grabbed it, right when I saw it. Instinct, I guess. I was still getting used to being a Chaser instead of a Seeker."

"...you were a Seeker?"

Oikawa choked on his chocolate, gaping at Kageyama.

"You didn't know? I was Seeker for second and the beginning of third year before you came along and _stole_ my position." He was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Kageyama‘s eyes were wide. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Oikawa shook his head. "It's not a big deal..." he lied.

He tilted his head, looking at Kageyama. He'd always thought Kageyama was glad to have usurped him, but now it seemed that the unnaturally talented young boy hadn't even known what he was doing.

"Anyway," he said, breaking off a piece of chocolate. "We didn't have to forfeit. I argued that it didn't count because I had on gloves that covered my fingers. Snitches have flesh memories--they remember the first person who touches it, in case of a disputed capture. That's why everyone, even the maker, has to wear gloves. Since I didn't touch it with my bare fingers, the Snitch was still pure and could be used."

"But the rules say--"

"It doesn't matter what the rulebook says. The ref was convinced and like a true Slytherin, I got away with it. So," he put a hand on Kageyama's shoulder, then quickly pulled it away. "Lesson learned: you should always wear fingered gloves."

"Okay."

"And next time, we're playing Ravenclaw?"

"Right. And we have two months to train starting tomorrow morning, so be ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates! I've had less time than I thought I would since the semester started >.< But I've written a lot of this AU so hopefully I can get chapters out semi-regularly from now on

“One, two, three, go!”

The Slytherins took off, zooming forward in a straight line across the pitch, racing to get to the other side. In a whoosh of chilly, face-stinging air, Oikawa surged ahead and came to a halt at the other side.

He checked the clip-on speed gauge attached to his broomstick. 6.5 seconds. He grinned to himself. That was a fucking great time. Even Tobio’s average was nearly 7 seconds. “Times?” he asked.

“8.63 seconds,” said Yahaba.

“9.5 seconds,” said Kunimi.

They went around the group, everyone checking their speed gauges while Oikawa wrote it down on the clipboard. Kageyama was the last to speak. Oikawa held his breath. “6.31 seconds,” said Kageyama.

The grin on Oikawa’s face disappeared. “Only? Your record is 6.2 seconds, right?” Kageyama nodded. “Hmph. You’re slacking, Tobio,” Oikawa said, underlining Kageyama’s score vehemently, his fist clenching around his quill.

“It’s only 0.1 second.”

“I don’t care, you should be improving. Don’t go making excuses for yourself.” He glared at Kageyama.

Kageyama stared back, wondering if he should point out that 6.31 was faster than his usual, and way faster than the average player. He decided it against it; arguing with Oikawa was more often more effort than it was worth. “I understand.”

“Good. Now get started on some laps.”

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “...don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh?” Oikawa didn’t respond. He yanked the speed gauge off his broomstick and pressed Reset, erasing his good-but-still-not-good-enough score.

+

As much as Oikawa hated to admit it, Kageyama had a point--if Kageyama had played Seeker during the match against Gryffindor, maybe they would have won. Or, if OIkawa had seen the Golden Snitch before it had gotten to Kageyama’s field of vision, then they probably would have won, earning those one hundred and fifty points before Gryffindor could score too many times.

If only Oikawa had been faster, his eyes a little sharper.

He promised himself that this time around, he’d practice as much as possible before their next official match.

But between his duties as a prefect and a captain, sometimes a whole day would go by without him training individually. He got plenty of time on a broomstick, flying around while helping people practice techniques or filling in whatever position his team needed. Still, he realized sometimes after the day was done, that he was meant to have released a few charmed ping pong balls during practice. Or sometimes he would remember to release the balls, but forgot to catch them because he’d been busy advising Watari on how to perform a nosedive, or dealing with a mysteriously malfunctioning Quaffle (Matsukawa's idea of a joke), or chiding Kindaichi and Kunimi to get their act together.

 _It’s okay_ , he told himself, lying awake at night. _Tomorrow I’ll catch up on my own practice_. He ended up flying extra laps in the early mornings before class, heading out in his pajamas to practice before coming back inside and pretending to be asleep (if it was a weekday and he had class in an hour) or waking up his teammates (if it was a practice day.)

On the sixth day of solo practice in a row, he watched the sunrise while sitting on is broom, a lone figure suspended in the sky. He felt a chill down his spine and was struck by how far the horizon stretched, how much open space there was.

The sky always felt emptier when you were alone.

He couldn’t help but think of Tobio doing this every morning, making it the full focus of his life. He supposed if he had been a socially inept teenager he too would have clung to one of the only things (if not the only thing) he was good at. In the past, when teammates used to approach Kageyama and ask to train together, he’d respond "I don’t need you." Oikawa was beginning to realize Kageyama wasn’t just being arrogant when he said that he didn’t need to other people. He really hadn’t needed them, back then.

+

_Kageyama glared at his fellow third-year. “It’s your fault I got hit.”_

_“It’s not my fault you didn’t dodge,” Kindaichi said, flushing._

_“You totally could’ve gotten that Bludger! What is the point of a Beater if you’re not defending me?”_

_Kindaichi’s fists curled. “Not everything revolves around you, Tobio,” he said._

_“Do better next time,” snapped Kageyama._

_“Whatever.” Kindaichi turned around and walked away. Kageyama heard him say, in a distinct whisper to his boyfriend, “Ugh, he’s so conceited. He thinks he’s better than all of us.”_

_“Yeah,” Kunimi agreed in disgust. “It’s like he thinks he’s a king.”_

_“Ha,” Kindaichi snickered. “Kageyama Tobio, King of the Pitch.” It was a perfect description for one as aloof and self-centered as he was. “I’m going to call him that from now on.”_

_He peeked over at Kageyama, who pointedly ignored him. He didn’t care what his classmates thought of him. His relationship with Kindaichi and Kunimi was rocky--sometimes it seemed that they were friends, sometimes they made fun of him. They were an inseparable pair, and he was just some weird guy on their team._

_But it wasn’t like Kageyama gave a damn about other people’s approval. Kindaichi should be doing his job. Kageyama worked hard and he expected other people to do the same, but for some reason people often got offended over this._

_No matter, though. Work hard, train hard. That was the motto Kageyama lived by, and if it made him turn away from other people then so be it._

+

The Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game was about to begin, and the bleachers were chock full when Oikawa arrived. He spotted his teammates sitting in the middle section, right between the Hufflepuff side waving their yellow-and-black banners and the Ravenclaw side in their bronze and blue; they didn’t want to appear as if they were taking either side.

He shoved into his cluster of teammates. They scooted aside, letting him sit in the middle--the center of attention, his natural place. “You’re late,” pointed out Hanamaki.

“Sorry, I got caught up tracking down some lost firsties,” Oikawa said, looking out over the pitch, where the opposing teams were lining up in front of their brooms. “Someone pass me the popcorn, I’m starving.” He’d been so busy that he skipped breakfast this morning.

All of a sudden, he noticed three fourth-years walking up the steps to join the team. Oikawa nearly dropped his popcorn. “Tobio?” he exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see Ravenclaw in action,” Tobio said, like it was obvious.

“But you never come to watch games!” The boy usually preferred to stay inside while the rest of the team was watching other Houses play against each other. After all, Seekers didn’t need to pay attention to things like strategy and playing styles, and they certainly didn't need to sit with their team.

Tobio shrugged. “I felt like it."

Oikawa stared at him. “What the fuck are you wearing?”

Tobio looked down at his casual robes and the cobalt sweater his aunt had given him because it supposedly matched his eyes. "...clothes?" 

“No, no, no,” Oikawa said. “You can’t wear blue! They’ll think you’re supporting Ravenclaw!”

“But--”

“You have to take it off.”

Tobio complied. It was just a sweater. He didn’t see what the big deal was. He held the sweater in his lap. Without the extra layer of warmth, he could feel the freezing cold right through his cotton robes.

The captains shook hands and then the game began, the players rising into the air. The Slytherins passed the popcorn around, munching away while they commented on the game. As Oikawa watched, he was distracted by the violent shivers racking Tobio’s body.

He sighed and took off his own wool cloak.

Tobio jerked in surprise as Oikawa leaned over and placed the cloak over Tobio's shoulders. "Here," he said. He fastened the silver button for him, as if Tobio was five years old and not fifteen.

Kageyama stopped shivering. Oikawa's cloak was warm and heavy, a quality garment that smelled sweet and musky at the same time. He'd never smelled anything quite like it before. _This must be Oikawa's scent._ "Um," he said. "Thank you."

Iwaizumi glanced at Oikawa in his purple-and-white Worcestershire Whizbees T-shirt. "Aren't you cold?"

Oikawa could already feel the goosebumps forming on his arms. "I don't want Tobio freezing to death, we need him for the upcoming game." This wasn't strictly true; Iwaizumi had plenty of Keeper experience and, in case of death by frostbite, could replace Tobio while Yahaba replaced Iwaizumi as Chaser.

"Speaking of Keepers, what the hell is #3 doing?" asked Hanamaki. "He's moving away from the goal area."

"Yaku's trying to intimidate the other team's Chasers," Oikawa explained.

"Kind of like Tobio did in the practice match against Hufflepuff?" said Yahaba.

Matsukawa laughed. "Oh yeah, that little orange-haired kid kept running away from him. He looked like he'd seen a Boggart."

"Thing is, it isn't as effective when Yaku does it." Oikawa pointed out.

"I don't know, that face looks pretty intimidating to me," Kindaichi said, staring at the boy's hard-eyed look of determination.

"But Tobio's face is way scarier," Hanamaki said. 

"Yea, Tobio's is the scariest." Matsukawa agreed proudly.

"...what?" said Tobio.

"Don't worry, we're just teasing you," Hanamaki clapped Kageyama on the back, startling him.

They continued watching the game. Attending a school match, Kageyama found, was different than watching the recordings that Muggleborns took with their secret telephones. Everything was loud--his teammates, the announcer, the screaming crowd in the bleachers. Kageyama was reminded why he'd stopped coming to other Houses' matches after the first couple times.

This time, though, he was actually paying attention to the players techniques, to their coordination. He could see their faces clearly and despite the overwhelming atmosphere, could appreciate the rawness and closeness of being at a live match, of feeling the wind in his face when a player zoomed too close to the bleachers.

Kageyama also found that being in the audience with his team was quite different from going to watch a game with his family.

"Holy balls," yelled Matsukawa as the Ravenclaw captain nearly fell off his broom while attempting a double-handed assault on a Bludger. "Did you see that, he totally lost his balance!"

"I'm never going to let Kuroo live this one down," Oikawa snickered.

"I bet you three Galleons he tries it again," Iwaizumi said.

"No way."

The others chimed in, everyone starting to take sides. "What about you,Tobio, what do you think? For or against?"

"Oh...for?" 

The team had no less than seven bets going on. Kageyama thought it was strange, wagering money or sweets on the theoretical performance of their peers, though there was a logical basis to this speculation. Surprisingly, he was learning things from listening to his teammates go on and on. Like the fact that Hufflepuff had a weak defense, or that Inouka Sou's speed was excellent but his control so poor that Oikawa seriously doubted the captain’s judgment.

Poor control or not, it was Inouka who eventually caught the Snitch, resulting in a resounding 300-110 victory for Ravenclaw. Suddenly some of Kageyama's teammates were jumping up and down in joy, while others looked crestfallen.

For people who claimed not to be taking sides, they had quite dramatic reactions.

"Hand over the Galleons," demanded Hanamaki to Kunimi, who sighed and reached into his pocket.

Coins and candies were exchanged between team members. The winning side--those who had bet in favor of Ravenclaw--was splitting the loot between themselves when Iwaizumi looked up and saw Kageyama. "You want some?" he asked, holding out a Chocolate Frog.

Kageyama hadn't bet on the outcome of the match, but he nodded and reached out to take it from the older boy, who gave him a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got kinda long so I split it. Coming soon........Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this fic is getting more gen and less shippy but, well, it's a slow build
> 
> (My definition of "slow" is "longer than a drabble" hahah)

_Tobio's following me._

Okay, so Kageyama wasn't technically _following_ him around on broomstick while he did early morning laps. In fact, he seemed to be trying to avoid him as he too flew in circles around the castle.

Gone were the days when Kageyama shadowed him, watching his every move and trying to soak up his talent. Now Kageyama was just trying to outdo him in skill, to practice as much as possible even if he had to share the air and force Oikawa to awkwardly maneuver out of the way when their paths crossed. How annoying.

He gritted his teeth. Why did Kageyama have to practice solo anyway? He was already an excellent flier. Oikawa wanted to turn around and snap at him to go save his energy for actual practice. But Oikawa was totally mature and knew that, as captain, he should resist the urge to rip into his team member and make him feel utterly worthless.

So he just didn't acknowledge his presence.

+

Oikawa was reading his History of Magic textbook when a girl walked straight across the library to talk to him. "Hey," she said, as she sat on the table.  "You have a match on Saturday, right?" she said, as if the entire school didn't memorize the schedule of one of the few exciting events at Hogwarts.

"Right." Oikawa didn't look up from his book.

She leaned forward, her smooth, muscular thigh touching the edge of his textbook. "You guys really think you can win without me?"

Oikawa smirked. "Ha, don't flatter yourself, Emi, we're doing just fine."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"You don't miss me?" Emi flipped her long brown hair. Oikawa was vaguely aware of the others students' eyes on them, though he wasn't sure which person they were envying. Maybe both. After all, they were highly athletic, attractive people.

"Oh, I never said I didn't miss you," Oikawa said smoothly. "But let's face it, I'm the best captain ever."

"Yeah right." Her expression turned serious. "No, but seriously, how are you doing?"

"Great. Iwaizumi is getting better at avoiding Bludgers; Kindaichi and Kunimi have perfected the dual defense; Tobio's saves are on point; plus we're planning a multi-Chaser formation--"

"I meant you," Emi said, looking amused.

"...me?"

"Yeah. I know being captain can be....stressful."

Oikawa laughed. "Don't worry, I love it! I have _so_ many fans. I got like _twenty_ letters on Valentine's. I'm doing great. Awesome. Fabulous."

"...you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm. Well, tell me if you need anything." She hopped off the table, flipping her skirt flirtatiously and managing to stay decent despite how short the skirt was on her long frame.

"Of course." His eyes lingered on her bare thighs.

She grinned. "There's a reason I picked you as my successor, Tooru. Don't make me regret it."

+

Oikawa was walking down the corridor when he spotted a bunch of fourth-years coming out of a classroom. Kindaichi seemed to be having a heated conversation with a bespectacled blond Ravenclaw.

"Everyone knows Slytherin plays dirty," the Ravenclaw scoffed.

"We do not!"

" _Those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends_ ," he quoted the Sorting Hat with a smirk.

"What would you know? You don't even play Quidditch."

"Yeah, sleeping with the captain doesn't count, Tsukishima," Kunimi added. Tsukishima gritted his teeth at him.

"Hey," Oikawa appeared in between Tsukishima and the other two. "Why don't we head off to practice?" He glared Tsukishima down as he put his arms on both of his juniors. "Ten points off Ravenclaw for rudeness."

"Prefects can't take off points." Tsukishima said. 

Oikawa ignored him. He turned around and started to walk off.

"You just don't want to admit you're a bunch of cheaters," Tsukishima called after them.

"Some of us don't need to cheat, you know," retorted Oikawa, gesturing for his teammates to follow him. They did so, looking glum all the way down the corridor.

"Ignore that asshole," Oikawa said cheerfully. "He'll say anything to defend his boyfriend."

He put on a smile, pretending he didn't know that no one was rooting for them. 

Slytherin was the House of liars and cheats, of greedy, conniving bastards. A stereotype as old as Hogwarts itself. Maybe it was just because he was a captain this time, but he noticed the way even the teachers seemed to wish Ravenclaws good luck in the upcoming game, but say nothing to Oikawa or his team. He noticed the disproportionate amount of blue-and-bronze banners being crafted by Gryffindor and Hufflepuff kids during study hall.

And he noticed how off his teammates seemed to be after that little encounter with that Tsukishima kid. At the end of practice he addressed the entire team.

"We're ready," Oikawa said, with his hands on his hips, looking around at his team on their broomsticks. "We're going to defeat them. Pay no attention to anything people say, they're probably just jealous. And anyway, who cares what they think? Slytherins stick together, right? We have each other...and that's what matters."

Oikawa looked around at his team. Some of them were squirming, as they always did when Oikawa tried to give a cheesy speech.

"Yeah. So. Tomorrow, we're gonna take Ravenclaw down!"

There was a sense of electricity in the air, the nervous energy of a group of sweaty and exhausted boys, adrenaline still coursing through their veins. They had practiced all they could, and now they just had to wait until tomorrow. They all stared at each other, panting.

And then Hanamaki shouted, "I'm gonna take _you_ down!" He shoved Oikawa, almost knocking him off his broom.

"Hey!" He shoved Hanamaki back.

"SHUNTBUMPS!" Matsukawa joined in, pushing Oikawa as well.

"...Shuntbumps?" Kageyama repeated, bewildered as his teammates began to push and shove, attempting to knock each other off their brooms.

"You've never played Shuntbumps before?" Oikawa said incredulously. Half his childhood had consisted of his elder sister pushing him off his broom and landing in the bushes. It was probably part of the reason he'd developed such good balance. Kageyama shook his head. "It's simple. The last one to fall from their broom wins."

"Oh." It sounded dangerous. But, Kageyama supposed, they were close enough to the ground that the fall wouldn't be immediately fatal.

Kageyama hesitated a second, then lunged forward and slammed his elbow into Oikawa's back.

Oikawa gasped, caught completely by surprise. He fell sideways, gripping on to his broom for dear life. He spun around to glare at Kageyama. "You--what in the hell--you have the NERVE--?"

The entire team had frozen and were glancing between the two of them, bracing for a fight. Oikawa stared at him, fuming.

Kageyama only smirked.

"You asked for this," Oikawa said darkly. He took deep breath, then hurled himself at Kageyama, left side slamming against Kageyama's right. Kageyama held on, absorbing the impact of Oikawa's hit before returning with a blow to the older boy's chest.

Oikawa jolted, but didn't fall. He attacked again, this time succeeding in knocking him over.

Kageyama‘s eyes widened as his hands slipped, his body swerving downwards. But Kageyama was able to reach up, grabbing the nearest object--which, he realized too late, was Oikawa himself. Hand clenching Oikawa's uniform, Kageyama pulled him down, down, down.

They fell together, landing in the shrub in an awkward tangle of limbs and leaves. Oikawa's face was red, and when he looked at Kageyama for a second Kageyama felt all his wrath and frustration directed at him. Oikawa attempted to disentangle himself, his legs only getting caught in the branches. "Tobio," he whined. "This is all your fault."

"You started it."

"I literally did not!" Oikawa huffed.

From above, his other teammates were laughing at their plight. By some miracle, Kageyama managed to extricate his body from the shrub while Oikawa remained stuck. Other teammates began to fall down, one by one, landing beside him.

"Oof!" said Iwaizumi, getting up.

Oikawa tried to wiggle out of the branches. "Hey, could you--"

He glanced at Oikawa and snorted. "No."

As more people fell, it became clear that everyone found his situation hilarious. And every single one of them managed to get out of the bushes. Finally, only Yahaba remained suspended in the air, an evil smirk on his face. "I call the first bottle of firewhiskey if we win tomorrow," he said.

" _When_ we win," Oikawa corrected him. He tried again to free himself, but he really was caught in the shrubbery.

Tobio watched him struggling and wordlessly reached out with his hand. "I'm fine," Oikawa said, flushing. He didn't need help, not from Tobio of all people. Yet he couldn't seem to get out. How in Merlin's name had he managed this? He was only glad none of his fans were around.

All his teammates were snickering, none of them seemed to be willing to help him. Except one. Oikawa stared at Kageyama's outstretched hand. He knew the hands of his teammates and friends and classmates, naturally, instinctively, from living in close proximity with them for years. But he'd never really looked at _Kageyama's_ hands. His long fingers, and pale palms callused from years of broomstick riding, not unlike Oikawa's own.

"Ugh," Oikawa said, shoving down his pride. "Fine." He took Kageyama's hand and let the younger boy help him to his feet, refusing to look him in the eye. He dropped Kageyama's hand immediately, brushing himself off.

"Aw, you should've left him there," Matsukawa said.

"Yeah, no need to be nice, Tobio."

Kageyama Tobio, nice? Oikawa scoffed to himself. He was the one who pushed him in the first place. Kageyama wasn't nice, he was annoying and smug and bratty--

Oikawa felt fingers brushing against his hair.

He whirled around, fixing Kageyama with a glare as his cheeks began to burn. "W-What do you think you're doing?"

"You had a leaf in your hair," Kageyama said simply. 

+

"Good luck, Tooru!" The first thing Oikawa heard when he walked out onto the pitch was a bunch of girls screaming his name.

He waved over at the girls, flashing his handsomest smile. “I love being Seeker,” he said smugly. There had been a definite increase in his popularity this year, and  
it boosted his ego like no other. (But was it really because he was Seeker, or because he was Captain? Or did he just gain attention as he got older through his natural charm? Did it matter?)

Iwaizumi gave him a look. “Get your ass over here and do warm ups.” As his best friend began to drag him away, Oikawa gave the gaggle of teenagers one last look, making a girl in the front row swoon.

Then he noticed: half of the girls in the crowd were wearing blue, or were holding Ravenclaw banners and flags in their laps as they waited for the game to begin. Even the girl he had gone on a date with last weekend had on a hat with a raven on top of it. Oikawa scowled. These bitches wouldn’t support his team, yet they thirsted after him and admired his skills endlessly. Not that he was complaining, he loved the attention. Still. It was disheartening to see his own fans betray him.

Iwaizumi was watching him closely as they stretched. “Are you okay?”

Oikawa blinked. “Of course.”

+

Oikawa ducked, nearly getting hit in the face by the Bludger. _Thanks a lot, Kuroo_. That was the second time this had happened, and he’d really like to avoid getting a concussion. He turned around and spotted Ravenclaw’s Beaters, Kuroo Tetsurou and Bokuto Kotarou, now targeting Matsukawa as he headed to the goal with the Quaffle.

Kindaichi rushed to intercept the Bludger, but he was a second too late. Matsukawa took a hit directly to the stomach, saved only by the padding under his uniform.

“Ouch! That’s gotta hurt...” said the announcer. “And Matsukawa drops the Quaffle...Taketora catches it! Ravenclaw in possession...going towards the goal...”

While their teammates handled the Quaffle, Bokuto and Kuroo are right behind them, aiming to send the Bludger at Kageyama as the latter tries to defend the goal. Kiunimi notices their intent and whooshes ahead to stop the  
Bludger from getting to Kageyama. Kindaichi has the same idea. He flies towards the same point Kunimi is flying to, and the two of them collide.

The Bludger flew past them, heading straight for Kageyama and smacking him in the chest. Kuroo and Bokuto high-fived, grinning at each other while Kindaichi and Kunimi looked devastated.

Oikawa called a time out.

“Okay, so Ravenclaw has powerful Beaters. We know that.”

“Sorry,” mumbled Kunimi.

“It’s not your fault. Those two have more experience, and they're just generally reckless and crazy."

“We can’t keep up with them,” said Kindaichi.

“You might not have their raw power, but you guys are pretty decent. There's a reason I picked you, don't forget it." He looked around at the rest of the team. "What we need to do is focus on getting points. Tobio is doing a good job not letting the Quaffle in, keep it up."

Kageyama nodded solemnly.

"Now," he addressed the Chasers. "You guys need to split up. It makes you more vulnerable, yes, but there's only two Beaters and three Chasers..."

They discussed strategy until their time-out is up, and as he watched them take their places again, he hoped they could do it. The game started up again. Oikawa watched and watched, a sense of unease churning in his stomach.

Sure, he was confident in his strategy, but as he wasn't a Chaser, could not actually execute the plan. In practice, he took different roles, enabling him to approach all sides of the game. But here all he could do was observe, painstakingly paying attention to the match while scanning the skies for the Golden Snitch.

All he could do was trust in his teammates.

+

250-410.

Things were looking up. However, Oikawa could sense his team losing stamina as they racked up points but still lagged behind Ravenclaw. Even the audience was getting tired, some of them getting up and leaving.

All of a sudden, he noticed a golden flash in the sky.

He was about to speed ahead and snatch it, but realized at this point, even if he caught the Snitch, they wouldn't have enough points to win. This wasn't the last game of the year; technically they could lose this one and still get enough points to win the Cup. It was very tempting, not to mention that they could finally rest. Oikawa could feel the tension in his shoulders, almost too much to bear.

But if they failed it was his fault, both as captain and Seeker. The burden of this decision was his alone. Like a king ruling his nation, with ultimate power came ultimate responsibility. Would Tobio, in his selfish tyranny, catch the Snitch right now? Perhaps. And the last thing he wanted was to be _that_ kind of king. So despite his aching muscles, Oikawa resisted the urge to go after it, avoided looking at it.

He only hoped Inouka didn't see the Snitch.

Kuroo and Bokuto seemed to have just as much energy as they'd had at the beginning of the match. They were harassing the Chasers again, Bludgers whooshing in between people. If they were going to earn the points they needed, the Chasers would need to be able to score goals without the distraction of huge iron balls.

Oikawa had an idea.

He maneuvered between people until he was next to Bokuto and Kuroo. Then, making sure he was in both the Beaters' line of vision, Oikawa dived sharply.

"Looks like Oikawa Tooru has seen the Snitch!" yelled the announcer.

They took the bait. Both Beaters immediately chased him, sending the Bludgers in his direction. Inouka saw Oikawa and he, too, began flying towards an imaginary Snitch.

Oikawa sped up, going as fast as he could (though still not as fast as Kageyama could have gone). His heart pounded in his chest as he dodged each Bludger. This was what he had to do. In battle, the king shouldn't be afraid to put himself in harm's way for the sake of his people.

Oikawa halted at a random point, turning around to give Bokuto and Kuroo a smirk. "Oops, false alarm!"

Kuroo’s jaw dropped. "You did that on purpose, you asshole!"

"Did what?"

"You _bluffed_."

"Prove it."

Kuroo rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Shaking his head, he turned to Bokuto. "Let's go." Narrowing his eyes at Oikawa, Bokuto turned and left. Inouka, too, narrowed his eyes at Oikawa.

"Slytherin scores! 270-420."

Oikawa grinned. His plan had worked; the Chasers had gotten them enough points to beat Ravenclaw.

But Oikawa's duty wasn't over yet. He still had to catch the Snitch. Oikawa looked around, searching, searching. And then he saw it. He rushed ahead, soaring into the air. Inouka glanced at him and, probably thinking it was another bluff, hesitated just long enough for Oikawa's fingers to close around the tiny golden ball.

The crowd erupted into cheer, mostly glad for the match to be over. The teammates returned to the ground. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were whooping. Yahaba was yelling with tears in his eyes. Girls were screaming Oikawa's name again, and Emi was throwing herself at him saying "I knew you could do it!" Random people were shouting congratulations. Of course they decided to support Slytherin _after_ they won. Which was a depressing thought, but nothing could stop the joy bubbling inside of him right now.

"This is it, guys," Oikawa said, holding the ball up in his hand. "We really have a chance to win the Cup!"

Together they walked back into the locker room, feeling on top of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm....they're happy NOW...but will it last.........


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12K words???? This is the longest thing I've ever posted, I curse whoever got me started on this damn ship

A year ago, Kageyama had not known what victory tasted like. Sure, he'd experienced a good amount of wins during his Quidditch career, but he hadn't truly felt it until after the Ravenclaw match. He now knew that victory tasted like sweat and blood and butterbeer drank in the common room to celebrate.

Kageyama had never truly understood what it meant to succeed, to him it had always been a straightforward job--catch the Snitch, game over. But now he understood the struggle his teammates had been going through, striving every second to beat the others.

He was beginning to realize, this was what he'd been missing out on his entire life. The chance to do something. To use his skills to their full potential.

Kageyama had never felt so good.

He watched his teammates lounging on the sofas, full of food and beverages. Hanamaki was reenacting a part of the match while the others laughed. Kindaichi and Kunimi were sitting together in one seat, the latter half-asleep as he leaned against his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Hey, Kageyama, right?," said a girl Kageyama had never spoken to, coming out of nowhere.

Kageyama was startled. The others turned to look at the girl as well. "Just wanted to say, it was really cool when you did that save earlier," she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

 _Which save?_ he wondered. "Um, thanks."

"You're _very_ welcome."As the girl walked away, Kageyama turned to his teammates, confused. "What was that?"

Matsukawa laughed. "She was flirting with you, Tobio."

"Flirting...with me?"

Iwaizumi nudged Oikawa. "Guess you're not the only one with fans around here."

Oikawa frowned into his butterbeer. He didn't expect to have all the attention, of course, but Oikawa couldn't remember a single time this year he'd been complimented on specific skills by other students. Sure, he was well-liked, but people never said things like 'awesome save!' to him. Was it because his good looks eclipsed his skills?

Or maybe it was just that there was no Seeker equivalent to a save? Oikawa was supposed to be the best. He wore the #1, the traditional numeral for the Seeker, while Kageyama's #7 signified the Keeper's low ranking in the lineup. But symbols didn't matter to casual viewers. From an audience standpoint, Oikawa wasn't that interesting to watch. A person who didn't know the rules of Quidditch might not even glance at him, whereas everyone gasped at the sight of a nice save.

He sighed. He couldn't have everything, he supposed.

They'd won and that was all that mattered.

+

There was something about spring weather that made Kageyama want to practice, practice, practice. Maybe it was the fact that the days were getting longer, the sun rising earlier. Rain-scented mornings just after dawn were the perfect time to get up and fly.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so, because he bumped into Oikawa more than once while making his way around the castle. Oikawa would look up sharply at him, but then turned away. That was the way it went, mornings like these. That was the way it had always been--both of them sharing the same space, not acknowledging the other. Kageyama preferred not to be disturbed when he was flying solo, and anything Oikawa had to say was a shallow distraction. 

One morning, when Kageyama headed for the shed to take out his broomstick he found Oikawa already there. The older boy turned around and saw him. "Oh, it's you."

"I need my broom."

"What, you don't carry it around with you?" Oikawa asked. Kageyama gave him a funny look. "Didn't you used to do that all the time?"

Kageyama shrugged.

"You did, though. You were such a weird kid," Oikawa said, not in a mean way. He handed Kageyama his broom. "Here."

Oikawa stepped out of the shed, closing the door behind him. "Guess I better practice." He picked up his broom.

Kageyama nodded. "Me, too." He exited the shed after Oikawa, mounting his broom and rising up in the air.

"Hey, I was going in this direction!" Oikawa snapped.

"But I always go this way."

"Doesn't matter."

"If it doesn't matter, you shouldn't care which way I'm going."

Oikawa rolled his eyes. "You know what? You're right--I don't care. Do whatever you want." He turned away, floating off on his broom. Even without looking, he knew Kageyama was following him. Oikawa continued going around the castle, swooping over walls and around turrets.

All of a sudden, Oikawa felt a gust of wind on his left side as Kageyama whooshed past him. _Oh no you don't_ , he thought, gripping his handle tighter. He rushed forward until he caught up with Kageyama. "I bet I can reach the top before you," Oikawa challenged, pointing in the direction of the highest tower.

Kageyama hadn't wanted to turn this into a competition, but, if Oikawa insisted...Kageyama sped up, aiming towards the sky.

Oikawa turned his broom at a sharp, nearly 90-degree angle--if there was one thing he was good at, it was unnecessarily showy broomwork--and headed straight upwards.

They raced to the top, neck and neck.

Kageyama was faster than him, and Oikawa could only last a few seconds against Kageyama's highest speed before being overtaken.

Kageyama reached the top first, and Oikawa came up behind him, breathless as he alighted on the roof. Surprisingly, the loss didn't sting, maybe because Oikawa hadn't expected to win in the first place. A few weeks ago, he might have felt bitter but at the moment he was still riding the high from their victory over Ravenclaw. Oikawa couldn't be envious of his own teammate right now. All he could think about was how lucky he was, how lucky they all were, to have someone like Kageyama on their side.

He found himself grinning as he leaned against the cool brick wall. "You just barely won, don't get full of yourself, Tobio."

Panting, he glanced over at Kageyama, who looked just as red-faced and breathless as he did. To his utter shock, Kageyama was smiling as well. "I won't."

After catching his breath, Oikawa looked at his watch and realized it was nearly time for class. "Come on, let's go." They got on their broomsticks again.

Oikawa looked down to see two Gryffindors--Tendou Satori and Ushijima Wakatoshi--staring up at the two of them. Sighing, Oikawa returned to the ground. "I suppose you want the whole air to yourselves?"

"Yes," said Ushijima.

"Then have it," Oikawa said. "Tobio and I are done anyway, right, Tob--" He glanced backwards. Kageyama was not behind him, but still perched on his broom. He made a dive, accelerating towards the ground unnaturally fast. "You see that?" Oikawa said, "That's the kind of talent we have on our team."

"Impressive," said Ushijima, watching Kageyama land perfectly. "But Slytherin overall is weak. Nothing blooms in infertile soil."

Oikawa rolled his eyes. Here he went again with his stupid plant metaphor. Oikawa could hardly believe there was a time when he liked Ushijima, when they used to have secret rendezvous in the Room of Requirement. "Is that so? Well, why don't we have a practice match, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin? Tomorrow."

"Great idea!" Tendou jumped in.

"I will not be there," Ushijima said. "I'm going home for Easter."

"Oh, that's all right," Tendou said with a grin. "We'll destroy them anyway."

+

Tendou Satori spoke too soon.

Without Ushijima, Gryffindor lost a significant amount of brute force that they normally used to score goals. Without Ushijima, the attacks they made were easy for Kageyama to save. The Gryffindors' faces grew more and more forlorn as the match went on and Slytherin kept scoring.

Oikawa could hardly believe it. They were over a hundred points ahead of Gryffindor. Maybe the Gryffindors weren’t trying their best--after all, practice points didn't count towards the House total--or maybe they really were nothing without Ushijima. And he had the balls to call _Slytherin_ "infertile soil." At this rate, they would definitely win this match, making it the first time they'd bested Gryffindor in five years.

Still, Oikawa reminded himself, it wasn't over yet. He searched and searched for the "Snitch"--a gold-painted plastic replica charmed to fly, because there was no way they would waste a real one--but could hardly see in the twilight. All of a sudden, a blur whizzed by.Oikawa looked to see the other Seeker grabbing the Snitch out of the air.

His heart sank into his stomach.

"We won!" someone yelled. Oikawa glanced across the pitch at Iwaizumi. "We won!" He repeated. "Look at the score! 270-250."

Iwaizumi was right. They had won. It was a 1 in a 1000 type of match, where one team caught the Snitch yet the other team won.

"We defeated Gryffindor!" Oikawa said. "Way to go, everyone!" _Everyone but me_. While he could be proud of his team, Slytherin had won not because of Oikawa but despite him but he blinked back the tears stinging in his eyes and put on a cheerful grin for his teammates.

He lay awake at night while the others slept, staring at the ceiling and wondering. All this time he'd thought he would be the one to bring Slytherin to victory. But what if he couldn't? What if he didn't deserve it? He'd had only one job and he failed.

Some king he was.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Oikawa woke up just as tired as he'd been the night before. He dragged himself to breakfast, then to class after class. The notes he scribbled down were barely legible when he sat down to look at them while composing an essay about how to recognize a vampire. Oikawa blinked down at the parchment, feeling a headache building up at the back of his head.

"Are you okay?" Watari said.

"What?"

"You have bags under your eyes." Shit. He'd forgotten to wear makeup this morning. Charmed opaque to hide even the worst shadows and blemishes, Oikawa depended on his concealer to get that naturally flawless look.

"Yeah, you look kinda pale," agreed Iwaizumi.

"Maybe I'm a vampire," Oikawa said, dropping his gaze to the parchment. His friends stared at him, looks of concern in their eyes.

"Well," Matsukawa said at last. "You do dislike garlic."

Oikawa made a face. "That's because it's disgusting. Ugh, the smell is awful," Oikawa said. "Not to mention the taste..."

"Guys," Yahaba said all of a sudden. "Weren’t we supposed to start practice like ten minutes ago?"

"Fuck," Oikawa said. He stood up abruptly, almost knocking over his inkpot. He'd completely forgotten, in his self-absorption. "We better hurry before some fucker decides to steal the pitch."

They went outside and ran down the hill towards the pitch. The fourth-years were already there. Kageyama, Kindaichi and Kunimi were already dressed in their practice clothes and ready to go. On the way out of the locker room, Oikawa spotted a pair of shin guards on the bench. "Who's not wearing their leg gear?" Most of the team members shrugged. Kageyama spoke up. "The strap was broken."

"Why didn't you ask for new ones?" Oikawa opened the locker where extra supplies were kept.

"I don't need them."

"You don't need shin guards?" Oikawa snapped, rubbing his temple. "My bad, I didn't know the King is immune to getting hit."

Kageyama winced at the nickname. "Don't call me that. Please."

Oikawa slammed the locker shut. "Fine. I guess you'll have to do without, huh?" He took out his wand. "Colloportus," he said, locking the locker door. He walked out of the locker room, accidentally-on-purpose bumping Kageyama's shoulder with his own as he passed. "Don't blame me if you break a leg."

Oikawa opted to sit out of this game, watching from the sideline where the referee usually sat while the other teammates played 5-on-5. He figured that observing from a little distance would be practice for a real match. Also, he felt tired today for some reason, the headache coming on again. After multiple fainting-and-falling-off-a-broom incidents during his third and fourth years, Oikawa had learned to listen to his body. He forced himself to stay on the ground though his heart urged him to get in the action.One of the benefits of having such little teacher and/or coach supervision was that Oikawa could do what he wanted, including take spontaneous breaks.

(It also meant that except for the occasional check-in with Professor Irihata, he didn't have anyone to help him. Not that he needed help.)

He'd let his teammates have a free rein today, practice whatever strategy they wanted in whatever positions they preferred. Most people gravitated to their usual role--after all, that's what they were best at. Even the "backup" players had roles to which they usually stuck. This time, however, there was one notable exception.

"Tobio scored for the third time in a row!" Hanamaki floated over to where Kageyama was sitting on his broomstick and high-fived him.

"I couldn't even get that!" Iwaizumi said, wiping the sweat on his forehead.

"You're a natural," Hanamaki added.

Oikawa sipped his water bottle angrily. Of course Tobio was. Was there anything Kageyama Tobio couldn't do? His eyes glazed over as he watched Kageyama perform.

The sky was beginning to turn purple, and Oikawa yelled at them to finish up.

Yahaba was about to chuck the Quaffle in the hoop and when his hand slipped and the ball fell straight towards the ground.

Before the Quaffle could hit the ground, however, Kageyama decided to take a risk. He made a sharp dive, hearing the gasps of his teammates. Kageyama accelerated even more, looking like he himself was going to crash, but braking at the last minute while grabbing the Quaffle with one hand.

He landed smoothly in front of Oikawa. Kageyama heard yelling behind him, his teammates saying "Awesome!" and "Whoa, that was fast." Kageyama checked the speed gauge built into his broom--one of the perks of owning a pricey Starsweeper XVII-- and grinned when he saw the numbers.

"6.17 seconds," he said. What's more, he managed to catch a sinking Quaffle in midair.

Kageyama looked at his captain. Oikawa was glaring at him with a gaze that could burn. "So?"

"So, I beat my record."

"Oh, you beat your record, that's cute." Oikawa clenched his fists. "Show off all you want, Tobio, I'm still a better flier than you."

"I'm not showing off."

Oikawa grimaced as the squeezing feeling around his head tightened. "Why are you like this? You think I'm going to give you your position back?" he snapped. Oikawa was aware of all the other team members landing, staring at the two of them, but he didn't stop, he couldn't stop. "Too bad. You can be the fastest person in the world and I would still never make you Seeker, someone like you who thinks they're better than everyone el--."

"Okay," Kageyama said. "I don't want it back."

"--no matter how much you beg, I--wait what?"

"I said, I don't care."

Oikawa could only gape at the younger boy, his anger evaporating into thin air like steam. "How can you not care?"

Kageyama shrugged. "I never chose to be Seeker."

"So you were just taking it for granted." Oikawa said in disgust. He turned away, clenching his fists. It wasn't fair. Kageyama had everything he could ever want but he didn't appreciate it.

+

“This our last chance to win the Cup!” said Oikawa, standing in front of his team. “Let's try to get as many points as possible!"

Everyone nodded. For once everyone was smiling and confident. They had come so far and they were close, so close.The Hufflepuffs were nobodies. Their House had the lowest rankings historically, not to mention they’d never beaten Slytherin in all the years Oikawa had been playing on this team.

Oikawa was pretty sure they had this game in the bag.

And for the first fourty-five minutes, it seemed like they were winning. Their Chasers were scoring consistently, their Beaters were protecting their teammates, and Kageyama was keeping the Quaffle out to the best of his ability.

Something was different about Hufflepuff today though. Kageyama had only played Keeper against them a couple times in practice matches and even he could tell that this time around they were better coordinated, that their offense was stronger than it was before. That puny orange-haired kid had, it seemed, made a lot of progress over the past year. No longer intimidated by Kageyama, he made goal after goal, zooming by so fast that Kageyama sometimes couldn't keep up.

Hinata approached and chucked the Quaffle towards the goal. "Oops!" Hinata said, mortified as he watched the Quaffle bounce off the edge of the middle hoop. The guy was fast, but his aim was frequently off and he made a number of fouls, losing his team almost as many points as he earned.

The other Chasers were moving towards Kageyama's side of the pitch. Kageyama‘s couldn't tell which hoop they were aiming for, so he prepared to cover all three, weaving in and out with his gaze fixed on the other team's movements. When the Quaffle came towards him, he swooped in front of the third hoop and deflected it at the last second.

"Why'd you call a timeout?" said Iwaizumi. "We're in the lead."

"We're in the lead now," Oikawa said. "But they're increasing their attacks."

"Huh?"

"They're trying to make up for their mediocre defense, they're probably hoping Tobio will get tired out."

Oikawa looked accross the pitch at where the Hufflepuff team was gathered. "See that girl, Michimiya? She's trying really hard. She's the only girl on her team and has a need to prove herself to her teammates especially since the others probably think she's only here because Sawamura favors her, which he probably does--they're dating, how could he not? From what I've seen here and during class, Michimiya's sensitive to failure. Every goal she misses makes her feel worse and worse; she's affected emotionally and physically. Also I think she has a slight case of motion sickness, she looks disoriented every time she has to make loops."

There was a silence.

"Scary," muttered Yahaba.

"...what does that have to do with me?" Kageyama said.

"Sawamura is a new captain, Michimiya is basically his only frame of reference so assumes Tobio will easily lose stamina too."

"But he will," pointed out Iwaizumi.

"Not yet he won't. Right, Tobio?"

"Right."

"Good. So let's just keep doing what we've been doing."

The huddle dispersed and Tobio was about to go drink some water when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. "You're okay, right?" Oikawa said. Kageyama nodded.

"I know you're feeling overwhelmed because you're not used to these kinds of attacks," Oikawa said.

Kageyama blinked. How does he know?

"But I want you to focus on Sugawara. His attacks are textbook and typical, just like we practiced. Don't worry about the baldy or the shrimp."

"Okay," Kageyama said, frowning.

"So, umm..." Oikawa stood there with his hand on Kageyama's shoulder, staring at him as he searched for something else to say. Something captain-y. He looked around and his eyes fell on Kageyama's emerald-green robes with the number 7 emblazoned in silver accross his chest. "Do you know why I made you #7?"

"Because it's the traditional number for Keepers?"

Damn it, of course he knew. "Well, yes, but no it's because seven is a lucky number."

"Oh?" Kageyama raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes!" Oikawa said, his fingers grazing over the seven on Kageyama's shirt. "You're like, our good luck charm."

Shit. That sounded better in his head. He realized that he was still touching Kageyama's shirt. If he pressed his hand a little closer he could have felt Kageyama’s heart, how hard it was probably beating. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, so, get out there and do your best!"

The match started up again. Kageyama resumed his position. As soon as the whistle blew, the Hufflepuff Chasers came rushing towards him, as predicted. He followed Oikawa's advice and found that Sugawara's attacks were easy to block because of the sheer amount of times he'd practiced.

Kageyama‘s body moved without thinking, throwing himself in front of the hoop and preventing the other team from scoring. He was the last line of defense, the guard that stood between the enemy and their triumph. A knight in leather armor, complete with a helmet on his head.

All of a sudden, the Chasers changed positions and now they were attacking in quick succession again. Quaffle thrown towards the hoop. Blocked by Kageyama. Attempt. Block. Attempt. Block. Attempt. Score--no wait, it's a foul. Back and forth they went, Kageyama zipping from hoop to hoop to block them. He was panting, gasping for breath from moving back and forth so many times. He felt a bit lightheaded, his vision going gray at the sides, but it was okay. He could hold on just a little longer and keep Hufflepuff out. Kageyama knew he was necessary to the game, he couldn't afford to stop.

While he was looking to the left, he heard an "Aghhhh!" from his right.

Kageyama turned to see an orange blur careening towards him. Hinata was heading towards the goal at a speed so fast that he wasn't going to be able to brake, Kageyama realized a second too late.

WHAM!

He hurtled right into Kageyama and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love cliffhangers
> 
> haha this is gonna be the last game for a while until the next school year. hopefully I'll have another chapter up by next week!!~


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/19 Sorry for the lack of updates last week! Here's the new chapter~

It was raining, like some type of stupid cliché movie, the rain thrumming in Oikawa's ears while he stared at the sleeping boy in the hospital bed. "Tobio, you fucking idiot," he whispered. 

 _Geniuses_ weren’t supposed to make such elementary mistakes as crashing into the other team’s Chaser and ending up in a heap on the ground. _Geniuses_ weren’t supposed to make their captains stand over them in the hospital wing, watching the pale figure lying unconscious in the bed. 

The school medic finished wrapping the bandage around Kageyama's head.“Everything's fine," Takeda said. “I've sealed over the fracture in his skull, we just have to wait overnight while it heals."

“So, there’s no permanent damage?” Oikawa said, gripping the metal headboard of Kageyama's bed.

“Right.” Takeda said.

Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. "And his leg?"

"Good as new," Takeda said. "Just make sure he doesn't do it again."

Oikawa nodded. "I will." He took a seat next to Kageyama‘s bed. If Takeda thought it was weird that he was just remaining there watching him while he slept, he didn't say anything. The other teammates had left but Oikawa felt a weight holding him in place, tethering him to Kageyama.

He’d never been so scared in his life when he’d seen Kageyama's limp body falling through the air. He'd heard the crash as he he hit the ground, and the loud, sickening snap of a bone breaking. Oikawa had come running across the pitch and got a brief glimpse of Kageyama's motionless body with his leg bent at a completely wrong angle and blood seeping out of his skull before they hauled him away.

Falling off one's broom and getting hurt was par for the course in this sport, but this was the first time Oikawa had had one of his own get injured.

_One of his own._ Oikawa never thought he’d be saying this, but that’s what Kageyama was, now.

He reached out, wrapped his hand around the sleeping boy's wrist. It was surprisingly warm. There was a pulse clearly throbbing under Oikawa’s thumb. It soothed him to feel the energy coursing through Kageyama's veins and to see him tucked safely here, his chest rising and falling as he breathed. His face was pale but had a dusting of pink, a clear sign of life.

The opposite was a thought so horrible Oikawa couldn’t bear to think about it.

Kageyama's eyes fluttered open. He groaned. “Oikawa?”

Oikawa quickly let go of his hand.

"Did we win?"

" _That's_ the first thing you ask?" Oikawa said.  “You almost like, died," he tried to sound scornful but the crack in his voice gave him away, "...and the first thing you ask is whether we won the match? Unbelievable." 

“Ugh, my head hurts,” Tobio grimaced. “What happened?”

“You collided with Shrimpy over there,” Oikawa jerked his head in the general direction of a sleeping Hinata’s bed, across from Kageyama. “You fractured your skull and broke your leg. Takeda patched you up."

“Did we win?” Kageyama asked again.

Oikawa cast his eyes down, exhaling a puff of air. "No.” He felt choked up, thinking about it.

"What happened?" Kageyama attempted to sit straight up, but the blood rushed to his head all at once and his vision started to go blurry.

"Lay down!" Oikawa said. Kageyama sank back onto the bed. "The others are outside if you want to see them."

Kageyama hesitated a second, then nodded.

All of Kageyama's teammates filed into the hospital wing, crowding around his bed, nine concerned faces looking down at him. They asked him questions and expressed their sympathies while Kageyama nodded and smiled weakly, his head feeling foggy and tired. He really just needed some sleep. Then he remembered what he was going to ask. 

“Oikawa," said Kageyama. "What happened during the match?"

Everyone went silent.

Oikawa sighed. He supposed he was going to have to give him a recap eventually.

+

"Tobio..." Oikawa had said, his stomach churning as he watched them haul Tobio away. Behind his goggles, his eyes began to water. _I can't even keep my own teammates safe_ , he thought, which he knew was a ridiculous thought because this was an accident.

Still, he felt responsible. He distinctly remembered what he'd told Kageyama a few weeks ago. _Don't blame me if you break a leg._

What if he'd cursed the boy, in that moment? What if it really was his fault? What if--

"He'll be fine," said Professor Irihata, cutting into his thoughts. "Now let's get to finishing the match."

That's right. They were in the middle of a game.

Broomsticks and hoops seemed so unimportant now, with the image of Kageyama lying on the ground fresh in his mind.

Oikawa forced himself to look at his teammates who clustered around him, faces showing various levels of distress. "Okay," Oikawa said, just barely keeping it together. "Who's going to replace Tobio?"

"Me," said Iwaizumi.

"No, you have to play Chaser," Watari said. "I'll do it."

"No offense but you've never been in a real match."

"So?"

"Guys--" Oikawa tried to intervene, but Professor Irihata spoke out over all of them. "Sorry, everyone, you can't switch in another player during a Quidditch game even if they're injured."

"WHAT?" Oikawa said, his hand shaking as he gripped his broomstick. "So you want us to have no Keeper?"

"It's the rule."

"But that makes no sense! It's blatantly unfair for one team to have a Keeper and the other to have none! This is bullshit," he said. "I'm not going to let this happen, I'm not--"

"Oikawa, there's nothing you can do."

Oikawa shook his head. "But, there must be a way around this--"

"There is a way," Sawamura had been listening from a few steps behind the group. “We can end this match right now by mutual agreement of the captains,” Sawamura held out his hand halfway like he expected Oikawa to shake it.

Oikawa stared at him. "No."

“No?” Sawamura was taken aback. “You don't have a Keeper.”

“And?”

“Hold on,” Iwaizumi said. “Can I talk to you for a second, Tooru?”

“What?” he said, alowing his vice-captain to drag him aside.

“Think about what you’re doing,” said Iwaizumi. "If we lose, that's the end."

"But if we win, we have a chance at the Cup!" Oikawa insisted. "I know what I’m doing." He could feel the gloom in the air, his teammates seemed to have dark clouds above their heads. They were already giving up. “What kind of Slytherins would we be if we didn’t try our hardest, even when it seems like we're going to lose?”

“Realistic Slytherins?"

Oikawa ignored him. He turned to Sawamura. "Thanks for the offer, Daichi, but we're not going to end this here."

"I don't feel right about this..."

Sugawara came out of nowhere and put his arm on Sawamura. "Come on, this is our only chance," he said. He flashed Oikawa a grin that was friendly yet threatening. "Well, Oikawa, if you insist on being defeated..."

"It's _you guys_ who are going down," Oikawa said, smirking in return. He turned back to his team.

"Come on, everybody. We've come this far, we can't give up now," Oikawa said, gathering them in a huddle. “We’re going to crush them with or without Tobio.”

Everyone gave him doubtful looks. Not one person in the huddle believed what he was saying, but Oikawa wasn't going to back down. His pride wouldn’t let him. 

It was hard, they found, to "crush" the other team when they themselves were missing a defense on their own team. The team now had to attempt to keep Hufflepuff away from their own goal and also score in Hufflepuff's goal. They had gotten so used to Kageyama's impeccable defense abilities that it was hard to function without him.

Oikawa watched his perfect strategy crumble to bits as the Chasers and Beaters tried to compensate for Kageyama's absence. But an undefended goal was an undefended goal. They needed a Keeper, not just any Keeper but Kageyama. Kageyama was woven into the fabric that was their team and his absence tore a hole in their morale. The team was shaken up and no matter how many times Oikawa tried to convince them that they could still make it, no one believed him.

But he held on to the last, gossamer thread of hope--the elusive Snitch, flying somewhere around this pitch.

They were behind Hufflepuff by thirty points. If he could just find the damn Snitch, he'd turn this entire game around and be the hero, the one deserving a crown.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nishinoya Yuu headed in a straight line towards something Oikawa could not see. He lunged forward, straining to catch up with Nishinoya, but the boy was one broom-length ahead, maintaining his speed till the end. Nishinoya caught the Snitch and the crowd broke into cheers.

Oikawa alighted on the ground, his face burning with shame.

They lined up in front of the other team. Sawamura looked him in the eye, captain to captain, and said "I think Slytherin did quite well considering the circumstances."

Oikawa shook his hand. "Thanks," he said icily. He didn't need pity from Hufflepuffs.

The dreary gray sky was beginning to drip, sprinkling small droplets of water over them. As they walked back inside, Oikawa wiped his face pretending the wetness on his cheeks was only rain.

+

When he finished speaking, Oikawa found that his eyes were welling with tears again. No. Not now, in front of everybody. He willed his eyes to stop; he wished there were some charm he could do to block the river of tears about to burst forth. 

He was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be the one everyone else looked up to--

"Oikawa? Are you okay?"

The dam broke. His tears spilled over. He couldn't hold it in anymore, he'd been suppressing his emotions for so long. “I’m sorry, guys,” he said through his tears. “I failed you--" 

“It’s okay,” said Iwaizumi. “You did your best. We all did our best."

"I know,” Oikawa said. “You’ve come so far this year, you’ve improved despite of me--"

"Bullshit,” said Hanamaki. “We improved _because_ of you.”

“You’re the best leader we could ask for,” agreed Yahaba.

Oikawa shook his head. "It's not that. I--I didn't catch the Snitch, in two official matches...you deserve someone better than me,” Oikawa said. “Someone who will make you win every time." 

"Hey now that’s kind of unrealistic, don’t you think?" Watari put a tentative arm around his shoulders. 

"Yeah, even the best Seekers don’t catch every Snitch." Matsukawa said.

“You’ve got the wrong idea,” said Iwaizumi. “You’re the only one who controls if we win or lose? That's the most arrogant thing I've ever heard you say."

"But...it's my fault--"

Iwaizumi shook his head. "It’s just as much our fault as it is yours."

"I could've hit a Bludger at that Hinata kid, kept him away from Tobio.” Kunimi added.

“And we could’ve took the Quaffle away from them...” Hanamaki said. 

“See? You’re not the only person on this team,” said Iwaizumi.

Oikawa looked around at his team, wiping away the last of his tears with his sleeve. “Thanks, guys,” Oikawa gave his teammates a weak smile. It should really be the other way around--him comforting them after a loss, not them comforting him. But he felt a little bit better now.

Oikawa sighed. "It's all over though. All of our hopes are dead, we'll never win the Cup--”

“No.” Kageyama said, speaking for the first time.

“What?”

“No, this is not the last chance to win the House Cup,” Kageyama said, leaning back against his pillows. “You have next year, stop wasting time complaining about things you can’t change.”

Oikawa stared at him. Since when had Tobio become _wise_?

“Yeah,” he said, sniffling. “I guess you’re right.”

Someone cleared their throat. Takeda was standing in the doorway. "Er--there's a few visitors for Hinata, so some of you are going to have to clear out."

"Okay," said Oikawa. The Slytherins complied. Oikawa was about to head towards the door when Kageyama said, "Umm, Oikawa?"

He looked back. "Yeah?" 

"Do you want me to quit being Keeper?"

"What?"

"If I had someone on my team who caused multiple losses, I would bench them."

"Wow, you're heartless" Oikawa said. "Tobio, you don't have to worry about losing your spot because you 'caused' a loss or two. Seriously, you should have a little faith in yourself."

"I do." It was Oikawa he didn't have faith in, Oikawa who was the unpredictable element who might decide that he disliked Kageyama enough to replace him as a starter.

"And we're _a team_ ," Oikawa continued. "We cover for each other when one of us fucks up or has an accident. This was just bad luck."

"I thought you said #7 was a lucky number," Kageyama deadpanned.

"Ha, maybe I did." Oikawa paused. "...you know what's a better number?"

"What?"

Oikawa took a deep breath. "#1. Next year, you can have my position, I'm done."

"No."

"Huh?"

"No. I told you," Kageyama said, pulling the blanket over himself and closing his eyes. "It's yours now."

"But--" Oikawa began to speak, but decided against it. They'd have time to discuss things after Kageyama got out of the hospital wing. "Well, I'm gonna go. Get some rest, okay?" He looked at the boy in the bed, who was already drifting back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, this fic will be going into Tobio's 5th/Oikawa's 7th year! sooo that means we're, at most, halfway done...
> 
> side note: hinata was also absent in the last part of the game, but lucky for hufflepuff there were 2 other chasers (Suga and Tanaka)


End file.
